U.S. Department of the Interior 

U.S. Geological Survey

FISH-COMMUNITY COMPOSITION IN MILL CREEK, CROOKED 

CREEK, AND TIOGA RIVER IN THE VICINITY OF TIOGA-HAMMOND 

DAMS, TIOGA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, 1998

by Robin A. Brightbill and Michael D. Bilger

Open-File Report 99-210

prepared in cooperation with the

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

Lemoyne, Pennsylvania 

1999
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

Charles G. Groat, Director

For additional information Copies of this report may be

write to: purchased from:

District Chief U.S. Geological Survey

U.S. Geological Survey Branch of Information Services

840 Market Street Box 25286, Federal Center

Lemoyne, Pennsylvania 17043-1586 Denver, Colorado 80225-0286
CONTENTS

Page

Abstract....................................................................................1

Introduction ................................................................................2

Description of dams and stream study reaches................................................... 2

Study methods .............................................................................. 5

Fish sampling ......................................................................... 5

Habitat quantification .................................................................. 5

Data analysis.......................................................................... 5

Fish-community composition.................................................................. 7

Summary.................................................................................. 13

References cited ............................................................................14

Appendix.................................................................................. 15

ILLUSTRATIONS

1. Map showing site location of reaches sampled for fish communities upstream

and downstream of the Tioga and Hammond Dams, Pa., 1998................... 3

TABLES

1. Taxa list, number of individuals, and total and average weights by species, total 

number of individuals, total number of species, catch-per-unit effort, and 

Shannon Index for fish communities upstream and downstream of the 

Tioga and Hammond Dams, Pa., 1998........................................ 8

2. Jaccard Coefficient and Index of Similarity scores for fish communities

upstream and downstream of the Tioga and Hammond Dams, Pa., 1998......... 10

3. IBI score for fish communities upstream and downstream of the Tioga and

Hammond Dams, Pa., 1998 ................................................ 10

4. Habitat assessment upstream and downstream of the Tioga and Hammond

Dams, Pa., 1998 .......................................................... 11
CONVERSION FACTORS AND ABBREVIATIONS 

Multiply By To obtain

Length

millimeter (mm) 0.03937 inch 

meter (m) 3.281 foot 

kilometer (km) 0.3861 mile

Area

square meter (m2) 10.76 square foot 

square kilometer (km2) 0.3861 square mile

Mass 

gram (g) 0.03527 ounce, avoirdupois

Temperature 

degree Fahrenheit (F) °F= 1.8 °C+32 degree Celsius

Abbreviated water-quality units used in report:

uS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius
Fish-Community Composition in Mill Creek, Crooked Creek,

and Tioga River in the Vicinity of Tioga-Hammond Dams,

Tioga County, Pennsylvania, 1998

by Robin A. Brightbill and Michael D. Bilger

ABSTRACT

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, has been conducting biological surveys of the 

inflow and outflow streams of Tioga-Hammond Reservoirs since the early 1980's. These surveys are made 

to identify possible detrimental effects as well as benefits of the reservoirs and to better understand the 

aquatic communities in the vicinity of the reservoirs at the present and over time. The U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers and the U.S. Geological Survey jointly conducted a survey of the fish communities at Mill Creek 

near Mansfield, Pa. (inflow), Crooked Creek near Crooked Creek, Pa. (inflow), Crooked Creek near Tioga, 

Pa. (outflow), Tioga River at Tioga, Pa. (outflow), Tioga River near Tioga Junction, Pa. (outflow), and Tioga 

River at Lindley N.Y. (outflow), in September 1998. The fish communities at sites above and below the 

Tioga-Hammond Dams were compared and any differences or similarities seen in the fish communities at 

the sites listed were noted.

This study found the fish communities upstream and downstream of the reservoir to be in fair to 

good condition; the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) scores ranged from 3.5 to 4.7. The habitat conditions 

upstream and downstream were of sub-optimal quality, with scores ranging from 14 to 15, according to the 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Rapid Bioassessment Protocols, yet are still capable of supporting 

fish communities. The Shannon Index of species richness and eveness ranged from 2.56 to 3.75. Only Mill 

Creek was statistically different from the two Crooked Creek and three Tioga River sites using Jaccards 

Coefficient and the Index of Similarity. The Crooked Creek and Tioga River sites were determined to be 

statistically similar using these same two methods.
INTRODUCTION

Biological surveys of streams in the vicinity of selected reservoirs were initiated in 1982 by the 

Baltimore District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE). The principal objective of the surveys is to 

identify possible detrimental effects as well as benefits of the reservoirs, add to a database that was 

developed for monitoring the composition, abundance, diversity, and distribution of fishes over time, and 

provide a better understanding of the aquatic resources in the vicinity of the reservoirs. The fish 

communities at the inflow and outflow of the Tioga-Hammond Dams were surveyed on September 14,17, 

21-24,1998.

The study was a joint effort between the COE and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). An 

assessment of the habitat suitability for sustaining fish communities also was included in this study. The 

fish communities were sampled to determine their structure and health and any differences that may exist 

upstream and downstream of the dam.

DESCRIPTION OF DAMS AND STREAM STUDY REACHES

The Tioga and Hammond Dams were completed in 1979 for the purpose of flood control in the 

Chemung River (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1999). The lakes formed by the dammed water are 

connected by a weir for the purpose of mixing the alkaline water of Crooked Creek with the more acidic 

water of the Tioga River. This mixing will raise the pH of the waters that are released through multi-level 

outlets into the downstream part of the Tioga River. Water from Hammond Lake also is released into the 

downstream part of Crooked Creek (Ward, 1976).

Stream reaches were selected to correspond with existing COE macroinvertebrate reaches and 

previously sampled fish-community reaches. Each reach was a minimum of 100 m (330 ft) in length and 

included a proportional representation of the available geomorphologic units for the stream riffle, run, or 

pool.

Six reaches, two upstream and four downstream of the Tioga and Hammond Dams, were chosen for 

the fish-community study (fig. 1). The two upstream reaches are Mill Creek near Mansfield, Pa. 

(latitude/longitude = 41052I24"/77°05'03"), upstream of Tioga Reservoir, and Crooked Creek near Crooked 

Creek, Pa. (latitude/longitude = 41°52I21'7770 12'30"), upstream of Hammond Reservoir. The four 

downstream reaches are Crooked Creek near Tioga, Pa. (latitude/longitude = 41054'32"/77008'27"), 

downstream of Hammond Reservoir, Tioga River at Tioga, Pa. (latitude/longitude = 41 054'37"/77007'48"), 

downstream of Tioga Reservoir, Tioga River near Tioga Junction, Pa. (latitude/longitude = 

41 057'26"/77006'56"), downstream of the confluence with Crooked Creek, and Tioga River at Lindley, N.Y. 

(latitude/longitude = 42°0r23"/77007'53"), downstream of the confluence with Crooked Creek and 

Cowanesque River (fig. 1).

Mill Creek near Mansfield is upstream of Tioga Reservoir. The reach begins approximately 1.3 km 

(0.8 mi) upstream from where the creek flows into the State Game Lands No. 37 and extends upstream 

105 m (344 ft). The drainage area is 186 km2 (72 mi2). The approximate area sampled was 1,384 m2 

(14,947 ft2). The geomorphic channel unit was riffle and pool, and bottom material was bedrock, cobble, 

and boulder. The downstream pool had a bedrock bottom, and the left bank was a bedrock ledge that 

extended to the edge of the forest. The right bank was a thin riparian zone capped by the road. The riffle 

and upper pool had a bottom substrate of cobble and gravel. The left bank was linear, gently sloping 

upward from the stream with cobble and little vegetation; the right bank was almost vertical and 

approximately 2 m (6 ft) high.
77° 15' 00" 

42° 02' 30"

77° 02'30"

41 °47'30"

NBA/YORK 

(PENNSYLVANIA

 TIOGA 

JUNCTION

IELD

EXPLANATION

 TOWN

 STUDIED STREAM REACH 

01234 SMILES I i ' i i' i 'i ' ' 

01234 5 KILOMETERS

Figure 1. Site location of reaches sampled for fish communities upstream and downstream of the Tioga and 

Hammond Dams, Pa., 1998.
Crooked Creek near Crooked Creek is upstream of Hammond Reservoir. The reach begins 

approximately 1.6 km (1 mi) upstream of the confluence with Stephenhouse Run and continues upstream 

143 m (471 ft). The drainage area is 274 km2 (106 mi2), and the approximate area sampled was 1,894 m2 

(20,455 ft2). The geomorphic channel unit was riffle and pool; the bottom material was cobble and gravel. 

The right bank was a gently sloping, linear, gravel area near the lower riffle. Upstream of the riffle was a 

pool too deep to backpack electroshock. The right bank in the area of the pool was a cliff. The left bank was 

linear and gravel throughout the entire reach and similar to the lower right bank. The riparian zone 

around the creek was forested.

Crooked Creek near lioga is downstream of Hammond Dam. The reach begins 0.32 km (0.2 mi) 

upstream of the SR 1030 bridge in Tioga and extends upstream for 150 m (480 ft). The drainage area is 

339 km2 (131 mi2). The approximate area sampled was 936 m2 (10,108 ft2). The geomorphic channel unit of 

the reach was riffle and run with a pool at the top of the reach. The right bank at the pooled area was a 

gravel shoal transitioning into a grassy floodplain. The right and left banks near the riffle and run areas 

were gently sloping linear banks with a thin riparian zone giving way to mowed yards.

Tioga River at Tioga is approximately 1.5 km (1 mi) downstream of Tioga Dam. The reach begins 

0.32 km (0.2 mi) downstream of the streamflow-gaging station and extends upstream 205 m (656 ft). The 

drainage area is 730 km2 (282 mi2). The approximate area sampled was 6,650 m2 (71,820 ft2). The 

geomorphic channel unit was riffle, run, and pool, and the bottom material was cobble and gravel. This 

reach had manganese, iron, and aluminum precipitate coating the stream bottom. The right bank was 

gently sloping and linear. The river flows along the bottom edge of a mountain ridge that is part of State 

Game Lands No. 37. The left bank was linear and extended into the flood-control wall.

Tioga River near lioga Junction is approximately 8.5 km (5.5 mi) downstream of the dam. The reach 

begins 118 m (389 ft) downstream of the Route 328 bridge and extends upstream to the bridge. The 

drainage area is 1,157 km2 (447 mi2). The approximate sampling area was 2,080 m2 (22,464 ft2). The 

geomorphic channel unit was riffle, run, and pool, and bottom material was cobble and gravel. The 

channel was braided. The first island covered an area approximately 1 m2 (11 ft2), a second island an area 

approximately 1,680 m2 (18,144 ft2), and a third island an area approximately 780 m2 (8,450 ft2). The banks 

were gently sloping and linear with a thin riparian zone giving way to uncultivated fields. The right bank 

downstream of the islands was deeply undercut.

Tioga River at Lindley is approximately 14.5 km (9 mi) downstream of the dam and is the most 

downstream reach sampled. The reach begins approximately 640 m (2,100 ft) upstream of the Tioga River 

at Lindley streamflow-gaging station and extends upstream another 201 m (660 ft). The gaging station is 

located just downstream of the County Highway 120 bridge. The drainage area is 1,997 knr (771 mi2). The 

approximate sampling area was 4,020 m2 (43,416 ft2). The geomorphic channel unit was riffle and pool, 

and the bottom material was cobble and gravel. The right edge of water had some woody snags in the 

upper pool, and the bank was a gently sloping, linear, gravel shoal that transitioned into the bottom edge 

of a ridge. A slough and some backwater were near the lower riffle areas. The left bank was steep, wooded, 

and capped by the road.
STUDY METHODS

The fish communities in the vicinity of the Tioga-Hammond Dams were surveyed between 

September 14 and 24,1998. These communities were characterized by total number of species collected 

and each species relative abundance. Habitat was assessed and related to the fish communities present in 

each stream reach.

Fish Sampling

All six reaches were wadable. A Coffelt Mark-10 backpack electroshocker incorporating pulsed DC 

was used at each sampling reach. Mill Creek and both Crooked Creek reaches were covered with a single 

pass in an upstream direction. Crew size consisted of four individuals at Mill Creek (shock time of 

3,036 seconds) and the upstream reach of Crooked Creek (shock time of 4,086 seconds), and five 

individuals at the downstream Crooked Creek reach (shock time of 4,895 seconds). To cover the Tioga 

River reaches, two passes were conducted in an upstream direction with a crew size of five individuals. 

Shock times for Tioga River sites ranged from 7,181 to 7,885 seconds. The backpack electroshocker, an 

electrode, and a net were carried by one person. The other individuals on the crew netted the fish and put 

them in buckets.

After each pass, the captured fish were placed into rubber tubs with aerators, sorted, and identified 

to species using regional texts to confirm identifications (Page and Burr, 1991; Smith, 1985). A maximum of 

25 individuals per species were weighed (grams), measured for total and standard lengths (millimeters), 

and examined for external anomalies (Meador and others, 1993). After 25 individuals of a species were 

weighed and measured, the remaining fish were counted and mass weighed to the nearest gram. A 

summary of the fish data can be found in the appendix. A few specimens were put into 10 percent buffered 

formaldehyde for a voucher collection and verification in the USGS laboratory in Lemoyne, Pa. Fish from 

the single-pass reaches were released directly back to the stream. Fish from the two-pass reaches were 

placed in a live cage away from the reach being shocked to prevent further trauma. After both passes were 

completed, the fish were released back into the stream.

Habitat Quantification

Habitat assessment was conducted according to the Rapid Bioassessment Protocols (RBP) (Barbour 

and others, 1997). The riffle and run prevalence data form was used. Twelve criteria were used to assess 

the quality of the fish habitat. Each criterion is rated on a score of 1 to 20. These scores were summed for a 

total habitat score. An average was then calculated and assessment was made on this averaged score. A 

score of 0-5 is poor, 6-10 is marginal, 11-15 is suboptimal, and 16-20 is optimal (Klemm and Lazorchak, 

1995). A reach with a higher habitat score should, theoretically, support a healthier fish community than a 

reach with a lower habitat score.

Data Analysis

The numbers of fish and their weights were totaled by species. The catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) was 

calculated by dividing the number of fish collected by the total electroshocking time (Nielsen and Johnson, 

1983). CPUE was used to compare the number of fish collected at each reach for the amount of time used 

for the effort. A higher CPUE would show more fish in an area than a lower CPUE. The reach with the 

lower CPUE is typically considered to be more impaired than a reach with a higher CPUE (Nielsen and 

Johnson, 1983).
Four indices were generated to further assess the health of the fish communities found in these 

reaches. The Shannon Index (H') is a value that combines species richness and evenness where >3.99 can 

be considered non-impacted; 3.00-3.99, slightly impacted; 2.00-2.99, moderately impacted; and <2.00, 

severely impacted (Bode and others, 1993). This calculation gives one estimate of the health of the entire 

fish community in each reach. A Jaccard Coefficient of Similarity and an Index of Similarity (Klemm and 

others, 1990) measure community similarity using the species present in both reaches and those found 

only in one reach or the other. These index scores can range between 0.0 and 1.0, reaching 1.0 as the 

similarities between reaches increases (Plafkin and others, 1989). The fourth index is an Index of Biotic 

Integrity (IBI). The Maryland IBI for non-coastal streams (Roth and others, 1997) was used because no IBPs 

have been developed for Pennsylvania and New York streams. The Maryland IBI was chosen because the 

fish fauna in that state's non-coastal streams are more like the fish fauna of Tioga County, Pa., than are the 

fauna of Ohio or the midwest, where IBI's have been developed. The IBI score is used to measure the 

health of a fish community taking into consideration the number of native species, feeding habitats of the 

species present, and their tolerance or intolerance to water pollution and sediment. The first two metrics 

for the IBI, number of native species and number of benthic species, are adjusted for watershed areas using 

the formula in Roth and others (1997). A numeric scale where 1.0-1.9 is very poor, 2.0-2.9 is poor, 3.0-3.9 is 

fair, and 4.0-5.0 is good (Roth and others, 1997) is used to show the health of tine community. These indices 

in combination with the CPUE are used to show any differences between the fish communities in the 

reaches surveyed, to determine if the fish communities show any impairment, and to aid in assessing if 

differences seen in the communities are because of the dam.

When this work began, it was expected that a statewide IBI would be available by the time data 

analyses were initiated; however, this was not the case. Because the state of New York also did not have an 

IBI in place, the well researched and highly tested model developed by the Maryland Biological Stream 

Survey (MBSS) was selected. The use of regional IBI's has been endorsed by Miller and others (1988) and 

use of regional reference sites by Hughes and others (1986). These studies indicate that when 

geographically specific IBI's or reference conditions are not available, reasonably comparative conditions 

from ecologically similar areas may be used.

Although somewhat geographically distant, the fish faunal assemblages of Maryland were thought 

to better represent the Susquehanna River Basin drainage than the species depauperate northeastern 

region. The Northern Highland ecoregion is common to both the study area and the area for which the 

metrics were developed. Many metrics included in all multi-metric scoring systems seem to have 4-5 core 

metrics that explain most of the classification efficiency of the index. The remaining metrics add 

redundancy to ensure that a strong mathematical signal is developed. For example, 4 of the 12 metrics in 

the original IBI (Karr, 1981) are influenced by sediment.

The Maryland area where the IBI was developed may not be locally specific, but it does include a 

portion of the lower Susquehanna River drainage. The IBI also includes many sites, covers many species 

collected in the study area, and very importantly is adjusted for basin size. It is the logical alternative to 

use under these conditions.
FISH-COMMUNITY COMPOSITION

In the Tioga-Hammond Dam river system, the number of fish species identified at the 6 stream 

reaches surveyed ranged from 13 species at Mill Creek near Mansfield to 28 species at Tioga River near 

Tioga Junction (table 1). The dominant species in Mill Creek near Mansfield and Crooked Creek near 

Crooked Creek was blacknose dace. At Crooked Creek near Tioga, the dominant species was central 

stoneroller; at Tioga River at Tioga and Tioga River at Lindley, the banded darter was dominant. The 

bluntnose minnow was the dominant species at the Tioga River near Tioga Junction reach.

The fish communities upstream and downstream of the Tioga-Hammond Reservoirs except Mill 

Creek, had a Jaccard Coefficient of 0.50 or higher. All sites were below 0.50 when compared to Mill Creek. 

Mill Creek was less similar to the Crooked Creek and Tioga River sites than the Crooked Creek and Tioga 

River sites are to each other (table 2). Both Crooked Creek reaches were similar (table 2). Also, Crooked 

Creek near Tioga downstream of the Hammond Dam is similar to the Tioga River at Tioga just 

downstream of the Tioga Dam. Further downstream, more species were collected at Tioga River near 

Tioga Junction than at Tioga River at Tioga (table 1) or Crooked Creek near Tioga (table 1). Even with the 

number of species being different, the Tioga River reaches and the Crooked Creek reaches are similar. 

Species numbers increased in the Tioga River downstream of where Crooked Creek joins the river; the 

community composition, however, did not change significantly. Further downstream, at Tioga River at 

Lindley, fewer species were collected than at Tioga River near Tioga Junction, but the communities were 

still similar. The Tioga River upstream of the Tioga Dam was not sampled because of its history of acid 

mine drainage input (Ward, 1976) and inability to support fish life. Sampling in October 1998 by the COE 

still shows the river to be acidic (pH of 3.6) and devoid of fish life (K.P. Kulp, U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers, written commun., 1999).

IBI, habitat, CPUE scores, and water-quality measurements were used to describe the fish 

communities present in the reaches. Fish communities in both Crooked Creek reaches, Tioga River near 

Tioga Junction, and Tioga River at Tioga were in good condition according to the IBI scores (table 3). Tioga 

River at Lindley was in fair condition (table 3). Habitat scores for the Crooked Creek and Tioga River 

reaches were all in the high sub-optimal range (table 4). CPUE scores ranged from 4.2 at Tioga River at 

Tioga to 17.0 at Crooked Creek near Tioga (table 1). Temperature (18-23°C), pH (6.8-7.5), and specific 

conductance (223-271 jiS/cm) were similar for all reaches sampled including Mill Creek (see appendix). 

The IBI score at Mill Creek was 3.5, indicating the fish community was in fair condition (table 3). The 

habitat score (table 4) was in the sub-optimal range and was the same score as Tioga River near Tioga 

Junction and Tioga River at Lindley.

Mill Creek, which flows into Tioga Reservoir, differed from the other reaches surveyed. The Jaccard 

Coefficients for all reaches compared to Mill Creek ranged from 0.37 to 0.48 (table 2) and the Indexes of 

Similarity ranged from 0.53 to 0.65 (table 2). The Jaccards Coefficient between Mill Creek and Crooked 

Creek upstream of the dam was 0.48 and the Index of Similarity was 0.65. Mill Creek is different from 

Tioga River at Tioga; the Jaccard Coefficient was 0.37 and the Index of Similarity was 0.53. The community 

in Mill Creek had a Shannon Index of 2.57 (table 1) and Crooked Creek upstream of the reservoir had an 

index value of 2.56 (table 1). The CPUE in MiU Creek was 8.1 (table 1); Crooked Creek was 4.5 (table 1). 

The habitat score at Mill Creek was in the sub-optimal range as were all the other reaches (table 4). The 

Mill Creek fish community was in fair condition (table 3) but was composed of different species than in the 

other reaches.
Table 1. Taxa list, number of individuals, and total and average weights by species, total number of individuals, total number of spec

Shannon Index for fish communities upstream and downstream of the Tioga and Hammond Dams, Pa., 1998

[ , not collected in this sample]

Mill Creek near 

Mansfield

Species name Snecies Numberof bPecies 

..... , total weight 

individuals 

in grams

Central stoneroller, 41 149

Campostoma anomalum

Satinfin shiner, 

Cyprinella analostana

Spotfin shiner, 

Cyprinella spiloptera

Common carp, 1 1,345

Cyprinus carpio

Cutlips minnow, 20 110

Exoglossum maxillingua

River chub, 17 82

Nocomis micropogon

Comely shiner, 

Notropis amoenus

Emerald shiner, 

Notropis atherinoides

Spottail shiner, 1 1

Notropis hudsonius

Swallowtail shiner, 

Notropis procne

Rosyface shiner, 

Notropis rubellus

Bluntnose minnow, 

Pimephales notatus

Blacknose dace, 6 9

Rhinichthys atratulus

Longnose dace, 192 717

Rhinichthys cataractae

Creek chub, 

Semotilus atromaculatus

Fallfish, 

Semotilus corporalis

White sucker, 45 15,279

Catostomus commersoni

Northern hog sucker, 

Hypentelium nigricans

Yellow bullhead, 

Ameiurus natalis

Crooked Creek near Crooked Creek near 

Crooked Creek Tioga

Numberof f"?60'68^ Numberof

individuals . individuals 

in grams

2 7 274

_ _ _

31 44 4

2 1,898 2

 87

_ _ _

 

 1

11 4

_ _ _

 

52 106 200

8 14 41

224 861 194

 8

 3

3 480 42

1 97 1

1 127 8

Species 

total weight 

in grams

1,376

17

9

660

1

6

422

49

435

40

22

447

3

70

Tioga River at Tioga

Numberof 

individuals

23

1

1

57

1

8

1

9

1

101

1

17

5

2

5

Species 

total weight 

in grams

408

3

799

264

1

45

1

33

1

471

7

507

366

41

48

Tioga Rive

Jun

Numberof 

individuals

77

17

1

4

25

4

78

1

248

76

109

4

100

56

15

10
Table 1. Taxa list, number of individuals, and total and average weights by species, total number of individuals, total number of speci

Shannon Index for fish communities upstream and downstream of the Tioga and Hammond Dams, Pa., 1998 Continued

Mill Creek near 

Mansfield

Crooked Creek near Crooked Creek near T. -.. , T. Tioga Rive

Crooked Creek Tioga T,oga River at Tioga Junc

Species name Species

N"mbHer °f totalweight 

individuals jngramys

t*t*I\ I IV/^d Vkil I

Pedesht Numberof t fPedesht Numberof t ffciesht Numberof 

llwe'9ht individuals totalwe'9nt individua,s total weight jndjvidua|s 

grams in grams in grams 

Numberof t SPedeSM Numberof t Sp, ecies

individuals totalwe'9ht individua|s totalwe.g

in rm in

Brown bullhead, 1 68 1 

Ameiurus nebulosus 

Margined madtom, 39 237 35 216 205 1,228 19 163 28 

Noturus insignis 

Chain pickerel, ___ __ _230 

Esox niger 

Mottled sculpin, 11 57 29 184 

Cottus bairdi 

Sculpin, ___ __ _ 6 48 4 

Cottus spp. 

Rockbass, 1 42 13 

Ambloplites rupestris 

Green sunfish, _ _ 4 47 _ 3 22 2 

Lepomis cyanellus 

Pumpkinseed, 7 60 3 

Lepomis gibbosus 

Bluegill, ____7 g 

Lepomis macrochirus 

Smallmouthbass, 28 1,671 2 36 1 6 4 40 19 

Micropterus dolomieu 

Black crappie, 1 23 

Pomoxis nigromaculatus 

Tessellated darter, 6 11 99 173 243 455 4 5 72 

Etheostoma olmstedi 

Banded darter, 60 111 132 260 145 

Etheostoma zortale 

Yellow perch, 3 26 5 44 7 

Percaflavescens 

Shield darter, 5 19 110 510 23 

Percina peltata

Totals 408 

Total number of species 13 

CPUE (number of indi- 8.1

viduals per shocking

time in minutes) 

H' (Shannon Index) 2.57

19,736 305

18

4.5

2.56

4,419 1,390

20

17.0

3.11

5,384 519

25

4.2

3.12

4,119 1,145

28

9.5

3.75
Table 2. Jaccard Coefficient and Index of Similarity scores for fish communities upstream and 

downstream of the Tioga and Hammond Dams, Pa., 1998

1 o / »/ » orH

Compared reach names 0 .... . Coefficient

Crooked Creek near Crooked Creek and Crooked Creek near Tioga

Crooked Creek near Crooked Creek and Tioga River at Tioga

Crooked Creek near Crooked Creek and Tioga River near Tioga Junction

Crooked Creek near Crooked Creek and Tioga River at Lindley

Crooked Creek near Tioga and Tioga River at Tioga

Crooked Creek near Tioga and Tioga River near Tioga Junction

Crooked Creek near Tioga and Tioga River at Lindley

Tioga River at Tioga and Tioga River near Tioga Junction

Tioga River at Tioga and Tioga River at Lindley

Tioga River near Tioga Junction and Tioga River at Lindley

Mill Creek near Mansfield and Crooked Creek near Crooked Creek

Mill Creek near Mansfield and Crooked Creek near Tioga

Mill Creek near Mansfield and Tioga River at Tioga

Mill Creek near Mansfield and Tioga River near Tioga Junction

Mill Creek near Mansfield and Tioga River at Lindley

0.52

.52

.61

.54

.55

.62

.64

.71

.60

.75

.48

.42

.37

.46

.42

Index of 

Similarity

0.68

.65

.74

.71

.71

.75

.78

.83

.74

.86

.65

.59

.53

.63

.59

Table 3. IBI score for fish communities upstream and downstream of the Tioga and Hammond Dams,

[Scores: 4.0-5.0, good; 3.0-3.9, fair; 2.0-2.9, poor; 1.0-1.9, very poor]

Mill Creek ^^far Crooked 

IBI metric 1 near 0 . . Creek near 

m * u Crooked _. Mansfield 0 . Tioga Creek a

Number of native species (adjusted value) 355

Number of benthic species (adjusted value) 335

Percent tolerant individuals 555

Percent abundance of dominant species 535

Percent generalists, omnivores, and 353 

invertivores

Percent insectivores 355

Number of individuals per square meter 335

Percent lithophilic spawners 335

Average IBI score 3.5 4.0 4.8

Tioga 

River at 

Tioga

5

5

5

5

3

5

1

3

4.0

Tioga River 

near Tioga 

Junction

5

5

5

5

3

3

3

3

4.0

Pa., 1998

Tioga River 

at Lindley

5

5

5

5

1

5

3

1

3.8

1 Roth and others, 1997.

10
Table 4. Habitat assessment upstream and downstream of the Tioga and Hammond Dams, Pa., 1998 

[Scores: 0-5, poor; 6-10, marginal; 11-15, suboptimal; 16-20, optimal]

Habitat parameter1

Instream fish cover

Epifaunal substrate

Embeddedness

Velocity/depth regimes

Channel alteration

Sediment deposition

Frequency of riffles

Channel flow status

Condition of banks

Bank vegetative protection

Grazing or other disruptive pressure

Riparian vegetative zone width

Total score

Average score

Mill Creek 

near 

Mansfield

18

18

18

18

19

17

17

14

10

6

17

12

184

15

Crooked 

Creek near 

Crooked 

Creek

14

13

16

18

17

18

14

13

8

12

15

17

174

14

Crooked 

Creek near 

Tioga

17

19

8

15

13

7

19

16

16

16

13

12

171

14

Tioga River 

at Tioga

10

16

4

15

15

16

15

17

18

18

16

12

172

14

Tioga River 

near Tioga 

Junction

15

14

13

18

15

11

13

16

17

18

17

13

180

15

Tioga River 

at Lindley

12

14

16

17

18

18

15

17

16

15

18

10

186

15

1 Klemm and Lazorchak, 1995.

The community differences seen between Mill Creek and Crooked Creek upstream of the reservoirs 

are in the number of species present in each stream, 13 and 18, respectively, and the species themselves 

(10 common species). The three species in Mill Creek and not Crooked Creek were cutlips minnow, river 

chub, and brown bullhead (table 1). These species need little to no vegetation for cover, are typical in pools 

of clear water streams, and are commonly in creeks with boulder and gravel stream bottoms (Cooper, 

1983; Jenkins and Burkhead, 1994; Page and Burr, 1991; Rohde and others, 1994; Smith, 1985). The species 

in Crooked Creek and not Mill Creek were spotfin shiner, bluntnose minnow, northern hog sucker, yellow 

bullhead, rockbass, green sunfish, pumpkinseed, and yellow perch (table 1). These species are typical in 

clear water streams where vegetation, pools, and sluggish flowing waters are present and the stream 

bottom is boulder, gravel, and sand (Cooper, 1983; Jenkins and Burkhead, 1994; Page and Burr, 1991; 

Rohde and others, 1994; Smith, 1985). The instream habitat appears to be different in the two streams and 

is reflected in the fish communities present in these reaches.

The fish communities in the reaches flowing in and out of the Tioga-Hammond Reservoirs appear to 

be in fair to good condition. External anomalies included blackspot, parasites, and lesions, but these were 

minimal in all reaches (see appendix). These three anomalies show an inconsistent relation with water 

quality and are therefore recorded but not used in assessments of water quality but can be used to show 

fish health (Sanders and others, 1999). Fin erosion was the most noted anomaly at the Lindley site but 

affected only a small percentage of the total fish collected in this reach. Fin erosion is usually a clinical sign 

for possible bacterial infections (Nielson and Johnson, 1983; Sanders and others, 1999).

11
Habitat is sub-optimal for all reaches sampled in this survey. Even though the range is similar, the 

habitats are different and these differences are reflected in the community compositions found in each 

reach. The communities increase in number of species collected as Crooked Creek flows into the Tioga 

River. In the Tioga River near Tioga Junction reach just below the inflow of Crooked Creek, 28 species 

were collected. Further downstream, 21 species were collected in the Tioga River at Lindley reach. Species 

collected in Crooked Creek and not in the Tioga River at Lindley reach were carp, emerald shiner, and 

creek chub. These species are typically collected in riffle and run areas. Species gained in the Tioga River at 

Lindley reach were river chub, sculpin, rock bass, pumpkinseed, and yellow perch and, except for sculpin, 

are typically collected in deeper pools and around vegetation and woody snags (Cooper, 1983; Page and 

Burr, 1991; Rohde and others, 1994). Sculpin are found in riffle areas where the water is flowing and not 

sluggish as it is in pooled areas of the stream (Page and Burr, 1991; Rohde and others, 1994). This reach 

contained areas of fast riffles where the three sculpin could have been collected.

The Cowanesque River also enters the Tioga River before the Lindley site and downstream of the 

confluence with Crooked Creek. To assess the influence of the Cowanesque River on the Tioga River, the 

Tioga River near Tioga Junction and Tioga River at Lindley reaches were compared. These reaches were 

very similar with a Jaccard Coefficient of 0.75 (table 2). All the fish species collected in the Lindley reach 

also were collected in the Tioga Junction reach. It does not appear that the Cowanesque River adds new 

species to the Lindley reach because the Tioga River at Tioga Junction reach is more diverse than the Tioga 

River at Lindley reach and no new species were collected at Lindley. The added water from the 

Cowanesque River could explain habitat differences between Crooked Creek and Tioga River at Lindley 

but the fish communities are still similar. Slight community shifts were seen as surveys moved further 

downstream of the dam; however, the majority of species collected in the Lindley site also were collected 

in Crooked Creek near Tioga.

The Hammond Dam does not appear to have had a significant effect on the fish communities in 

Crooked Creek in the reaches that were surveyed. IBI scores indicate that the fish communities are in good 

health. Specific conductance and temperature were not highly variable between the reaches and the pH 

was close to 7. Habitat scored on the high end of the sub-optimal range.

Effects of the Tioga Dam cannot be directly determined because of the lack of a sampling reach on 

Tioga River upstream of the dam. Historically, the Tioga River upstream of the dam has had no fish life 

(Ward, 1976). The Tioga River upstream of the dam is effected by acid mine drainage and few to no 

macroinvertebrates or fish were found in this reach when a survey was conducted by the U.S. Army Corps 

of Engineers in October 1998 (K.P. Kulp, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, written commun., 1999). 

Preimpoundment studies showed the river to have a pH of 5.6, which is too low to support a healthy fish 

population (Ward, 1976) typically seen in this area. The pH becomes more neutral in the Tioga River 

downstream of the dam. It appears the reservoir has mitigated the effect of mine drainage and raised the 

pH of the water downstream of the dam. Mill Creek and Hammond Reservoir add water to the Tioga 

Reservoir. These inputs may help raise the pH of the water and dilute metals associated with the acid mine 

drainage before the water flows out of the Tioga Dam. Dams typically trap coarse and fine particulate 

organic matter, allow time for suspended solids to settle out of the water, and clarify the water before it is 

released to the downstream part of the stream (Symons and others, 1964; Vannote and others, 1980).

The fish communities present downstream of the Tioga Dam are similar to those of Crooked Creek. 

It is possible the species of the Tioga River downstream of the dam migrated there from Crooked Creek 

and filled niches in the Tioga River that became more habitable after the dam was constructed and waters 

were clarified by the retention time in the reservoir. Historical data show that eight fish species were 

collected in the Tioga Junction reach prior to the construction of the dam (Ward, 1976). The number of 

species collected in the Tioga Junction reach in 1998 was 28. Further research into historical data would be 

needed to show the fish-community changes that have taken place in these streams since the construction 

of the dams.

12
SUMMARY

The purpose of studying Mill and Crooked Creeks and the Tioga River, which flow in and out of the 

Tioga-Hammond Reservoirs, was to evaluate the current status of fish communities in the vicinity of the 

dams. The intent was to determine if the communities above and below the reservoir are similar or 

different and to comment on the health of the communities present in each reach.

On the basis of calculated IBI scores, the fish communities are in fair to good condition in all the 

reaches. The fish communities in Crooked Creek near Crooked Creek, Crooked Creek near Tioga, Tioga 

River at Tioga, and Tioga River near Tioga Junction were categorized as being in good condition (IBI scores 

ranged from 4.0 to 4.8). Mill Creek near Mansfield and Tioga River at Lindley fish communities were 

categorized as being in fair condition; IBI scores were 3.5 and 3.8, respectively. The habitats at all six 

reaches were sub-optimal yet different, which was reflected in the species of each fish community present 

in these reaches.

The fish communities of Crooked Creek upstream and downstream of the Hammond Dam were 

similar, with a Jaccards Coefficient of 0.52 and a Index of Similarity of 0.68. These communities also were 

similar to those communities surveyed in the three reaches downstream of the Tioga Dam. The fish 

community in the Mill Creek reach upstream of the Tioga Dam was not similar to the five other reaches 

sampled. The Jaccard Coefficients ranged from 0.37 to 0.48 and the Index of Similarities ranged from 0.53 

to 0.65.

The fish communities below the Tioga Dam are similar to those in Crooked Creek. The Tioga River 

upstream of the dam is affected by acid mine drainage, and few to no macroinvertebrates and fish are 

present in the river. Yet below the dam, the river is able to support fish communities. Mill Creek also is able 

to support fish communities and is not affected by acid mine drainage. The fish communities in Mill Creek 

are not similar to those of the other reaches. It is possible the communities in the Tioga River downstream 

of the dam have come into the river from the other creeks and rivers that enter the Tioga River and are able 

to exist because of better water quality downstream of the dam.

13
REFERENCES CITED

Harbour, M.T., Gerritsen, ]., Snyder, B.D., and Stribling, J.B., 1997, Revision to rapid bioassessment protocols for use in

streams and rivers Periphyton, benthic macroinvertebrates, and fish: Washington, D.C., U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency, EPA 841-D-97-002,306 p. 

Bode, R.W., Novak, M.A., and Abele, L.E., 1993,20 year trends in water quality of rivers and streams in New York

State based on macroinvertebrate data, 1972-1992: Albany, N.Y., New York State Department of Environmental

Conservation, 217 p. 

Cooper, E.L., 1983, Fishes of Pennsylvania and the Northeastern United States: University Park, Pa., The Pennsylvania

State University Press, 243 p. 

Hughes, R.M., Larsen, D.P., Omernik, J.M., 1986 Regional reference sites A method for assessing stream

pollution: Environmental Management, v. 10, 7 p. 

Jenkins, R.E., and Burkhead, N.M., 1994, Freshwater fishes of Virginia: Bethesda Md., American Fisheries Society,

1079 p.

Karr, J.R., 1981, Assessment of biotic integrity using fish communities: Fisheries, v. 6(6), 7 p. 

Klemm, D.J., and Lazorchak, J.M., 1995, Environmental monitoring and assessment program, surface waters Field

operations and methods for measuring the ecological condition of wadable streams: Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency, EPA/620/12094/004,130 p. + 9 appendices. 

Klemm, D.J., Lewis, P.A., Fulk, F, and Lazorchak, J.M., 1990, Macroinvertebrate field and laboratory methods for

evaluating the biological integrity of surface waters: Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

EPA/600/4-90/030, 256 p. 

Meador, M.R., Cufmey, T.F., and Gurtz, M.E., 1993, Methods for sampling fish communities as part of the National

Water-Quality Assessment Program: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 93-104,38 p. 

Miller, D.L., Leonard, P.M., Hughes, R.M., Karr, J.R., Moyle, P.B., Schrader, L.H., Thompson, B.A., Daniel, R.A., Fausch,

K.D., Fitzhugh, G.A., Gammon, J.R., Halliwell, D.B., Angermeier, PL., and Orth, D.J., 1988, Regional

applications of an index of biotic integrity for use in water resource management: Fisheries, v. 13(5), 9 p. 

Nielsen, L.A., and Johnson, D.L., eds., 1983, Fisheries techniques: Bethesda Md., American Fisheries Society, 468 p. 

Page, L.M., and Burr, B.M., 1991, Peterson field guide to freshwater fishes: New York, Houghton Mifflin Company,

432 p. 

Plafkin, J.L., Barbour, M.T., Porter, K.D., Gross, S.K., and Hughes, R.M., 1989, Rapid bioassessment protocols for use in

streams and rivers Benthic macroinvertebrates and fish: Washington, D.C., U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency, EPA/440/4-89/001,128 p. + 4 appendices. 

Rohde, F.C., Arndt, R.G., Lindquist, D.G., and Parnell, J.F., 1994, Freshwater fishes of the Carolinas, Virginia,

Maryland, and Delaware: Chapel Hill, N.C., The University of North Carolina Press, 222 p. 

Roth, N.E., Southerland, M.T., Chaillou, J.C., V01stad, J.H., Weisberg, S.B., Wilson, H.T., Heimbuch, D.G., and Seibel,

J.C., 1997, Maryland biological stream survey Ecological status of non-tidal streams in six basins sampled in

1995: Linthicum, Md., Versar, Inc., Columbia, Md. and Coastal Environmental Services, Chesapeake Bay and

Watershed Programs Monitoring and Non-tidal Assessment, CBWP-MANTA-EA-97-2.151 p. + 6 appendices. 

Sanders, R.E., Miltner, R.J., Yoder, C.O., and Rankin, E.T., in Simon, T.P., ed., 1999, Assessing the sustainability and

biological integrity of water resources using fish communities: Boca Raton, Fla., CRC Press, 671 p. 

Smith, C.L., 1985, The inland fishes of New York State: Albany, N.Y., New York State Department of Environmental

Conservation, 522 p. 

Symons, J.M., Weibel, S.R., and Roebech, G.G., 1964, Influence of impoundments on water quality: U.S. Public Health

Service, 999-WP-18,78 p. 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1999, Civil Works Project Information [online]: cited May 4,1999, available from World

Wide Web at <http://crunch.tec.army.mil/dpn/webpages/DPN_Detail.CFM?ID=1574/>. 

Vannote, R.L., Minshall, G.W, Cummins, K.W, Sedell, J.R., and Gushing, C.E., 1980, The river continuum

concept: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science, v. 37, 7 p. 

Ward, J.R., 1976, Preliminary results of preimpoundment water-quality studies in the Tioga River Basin, Pennsylvania

and New York: U. S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigation 76-66,79 p.

14
APPENDIX

15
Study Unit: COE

Station Name: Mill Creek near Mansfield, Pa.

Lat/Long: 41°52'24777°05'03"

County: Tioga

pH: 6.8, Temperature: 23°C, Conductance: 234 jaS/cm

Investigators: Bilger, Brightbill, Kulp, Barlock

Date of Collection: 09/14/1998

# of Species at Reach: 13

Sampling Gear Code: backpack 

Time/Pass(sec./min.): 3,036/50.6

Species name

Central stoneroller, Campostoma anomalum

Common carp, Cyprinus carpio

Cutlips minnow, Exoglossum maxillingua

River chub, Nocomis micropogon

Spottail shiner, Notropis hudsonius

Blacknose dace, Rhinichthys atratulus

Longnose dace, Rhinichthys cataractae

White sucker, Catostomus commersoni

Brown bullhead, Ameiurus nebulosus

Margined madtom, Noturus insignis

Mottled sculpin, Cottus bairdi

Smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu

Tessellated darter, Etheostoma olmstedi

Totals for reach:

Total 

number of 

fish per 

species

41

1

20

17

1

6

192

45

1

39

11

28

6

408

Percent of 

total number 

of fish

10.0

.2

4.9

4.2

.2

1.5

47.1

11.0

.2

9.6

2.7

6.9

1.5

Total weight 

per species 

(grams)

149

1,345

110

82

1

9

717

15,279

68

237

57

1,671

11

19,736

Percent 

total 

weight

0.755

6.81

.557

.415

.005

.046

3.63

77.4

.344

1.20

.289

8.47

.056

Average 

weight 

(grams)

4

1,345

6

5

1

2

4

340

68

6

5

60

2

Range of 

weights 

(grams)

1-20

1,345

2-14

2-25

1

1-3

1-7

5-622

68

1-20

2-7

4-231

1-3

Average 

total length 

(millimeters)

67

480

71

67

46

47

69

305

161

81

65

137

53

Rang

total le

(millim

46-

48

45-1

48-1

46

39-

44-

130-

16

45-1

41-

62-2

39-

Reported anomalies: central stoneroller - 8% with blackspot; cutlips minnow - 5% with lesions; river chub - 24% with blackspot; longnose dace 

white sucker - 4% with blackspot; margined madtom - 8% with parasites; smallmouth bass - 44% with leeches.
Study Unit: COE

Station Name: Crooked Creek near Crooked Creek, Pa.

Lat/Long: 41 052'21"/770 12'30"

County. Tioga

pH: 7.1, Temperature: 23°C, Conductance: 271 ^S/cm

Investigators: Bilger, Brightbill, Kulp, Jones

[ , data not recorded]

Date of Collection: 09/21/1998

# of Species at Reach: 18

Sampling Gear Code: backpack 

Time/Pass(sec./min.): 4,086/68.1

Species name

Central stoneroller, Campostoma anomalum

Spotfin shiner, Cyprinella spiloptera

Common carp, Cyprinus carpio

Spottail shiner, Notropis hudsonius

Bluntnose minnow, Pimephales notatus

Blacknose dace, Rhinichthys atratulus

Longnose dace, Rhinichthys cataractae

White sucker, Catostomus commersoni

Northern hog sucker, Hypentelium nigricans

Yellow bullhead, Ameiurus natalis

Margined madtom, Noturus insignis

Mottled Sculpin, Coitus bairdi

Rockbass, Ambloplites rupestris

Green sunfish, Lepomis cyanellus

Pumpkinseed, Lepomis gibbosus

Smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu

Tessellated darter, Etheostoma olmstedi

Yellow perch, Percaflavescens

Totals for site:

Total 

number of 

fish per 

species

2

31

2

1

52

8

224

3

1

1

35

29

1

4

7

2

99

3

505

Percent of 

total number 

of fish

0.4

6.1

.4

.2

10.3

1.6

44.4

.6

.2

.2

6.9

5.7

.2

.8

1.4

.4

19.6

.6

Total weight Percent 

per species total 

(grams) weight

7

44

1,898

1

106

14

861

480

97

127

216

184

42

47

60

36

173

26

4,419

0.158

.996

42.9

.023

2.39

.317

19.5

10.9

2.19

2.87

4.89

4.16

.950

1.06

1.36

.815

3.91

.588

Average 

weight 

(grams)

4

1

949

1

2

2

4

240

97

127

9

6

42

12

9

18

2

9

Range of Average 

weights total length 

(grams) (millimeters)

3-4

1-7

657-1,241

1

1-5

1-3

1-9

61-216

97

127

1-17

4-10

42

4-20

5-15

10-26

1-4

7-11

67

39

431

27

52

52

64

244

207

205

71

72

130

78

73

103

54

100

Ran

total l

(millim

65

20-

391-

2

26

42-

40-

183

20

20

40-

60-

13

56-

60

80-

43

90-

Reported anomalies: pumpkinseed - 29% with blackspot.
Study Unit: COE

Station Name: Crooked Creek near Tioga, Pa.

Lat/Long: 41°54I32777°08'27"

County: Tioga

pH: 7.2, Temperature: 19°C, Conductance:

investigators: Bilger, Brightbill, Kulp, Pisarski, Barlock

[ , data not recorded]

Date of Collection: 09/17/1998

# of Species at Reach: 20

Sampling Gear Code: backpack 

Time/Pass(sec./min.): 4,895/81.6

Species name

Central stoneroller, Campostoma anomalum

Spotfin shiner, Cyprinella spiloptera

Common carp, Cyprinus carpio

Cutlips minnow, Exoglossum maxillingua

Emerald shiner, Notropis atherinoides

Spottail shiner, Notropis hudsonius

Bluntnose minnow, Pimephales notatus

Blacknose dace, Rhinichthys atratulus

Longnose dace, Rhinichthys cataractae

Creek chub, Semotilus atromaculatus

Fallfish, Semotilus corporalis

White sucker, Catostomus commersoni

Northern hog sucker, Hypentelium nigricans

Yellow bullhead, Ameiurus natalis

Margined madtom, Noturus insignis

Bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus

Smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu

Tessellated darter, Etheostoma olmstedi

Banded darter, Etheostoma zonale

Shield darter, Percina peltata

Totals for site:

Total 

number of 

fish per 

species

274

4

2

87

1

4

200

41

194

8

3

42

1

8

205

7

1

243

60

5

1,390

Percent of 

total number 

of fish

19.7

.3

.1

6.3

.1

.3

14.4

2.9

14.0

.6

.2

3.0

.1

.6

14.7

.5

.1

17.5

4.3

.4

Total weight 

per species 

(grams)

1,376

17

9

660

1

6

422

49

435

40

22

447

3

70

1,228

8

6

455

111

19

5,384

Percent 

total 

weight

25.6

.316

.167

12.3

.019

.111

7.84

.910

8.08

.743

.409

8.30

.056

1.30

22.8

.149

.111

8.45

2.06

.353

Average 

weight 

(grams)

5

4

4

8

1

2

2

1

2

5

7

11

3

9

6

1

6

2

2

4

Range of 

weights 

(grams)

2-15

2-6

4-5

1-18

1

1-2

1-6

1-2

108

2-10

3-16

6-14

3

2-54

1-16

1-2

6

1-3

1-3

3^

Average 

total length 

(millimeters)

78

76

63

70

41

54

58

45

65

73

81

91

62

67

79

34

70

56

50

70

Rang

total le

(millim

55-

66-

60-

41-

4

51-

30-

35-

43-

60-

60-

80-

6

42-

32-

27-

7

45-

37-

64-

Reported anomalies: central stoneroller -12% with blackspot; white sucker - 4% with blackspot; yellow bullhead -13% with lesions.
Study Unit: COE

Station Name: Tioga River at Tioga, Pa. 

Lat/Long: 41°54'37777°07'48" 

County: Tioga

Date of Collection: 09/23/1998

# of Species at Reach: 25

Sampling Gear Code: backpack 

Time/Pass(sec./min.): 7,476/125

pH: 6.8, Temperature: 19°C, Conductance: 

Investigators: Bilger, Bright bill, Kulp, Pisarski,

Species name

Central stoneroller, Campostoma anomalum

Satinfin shiner, Cypirnella analostana

Common carp, Cyprinus carpio

River chub, Nocomis micropogon

Comely shiner, Notropis amoenus

Spottail shiner, Notropis hudsonius

Swallowtail shiner, Notripis procne

Bluntnose minnow, Pimephales notatus

Blacknose dace, Rhinichthys atratulus

Longnose dace, Rhinichthys cataractae

Creek chub, Semotilus atromaculatus

Fallfish, Semotilus corporate

White sucker, Catostomus commersoni

Northern hog sucker, Hypentelium nigricans

Yellow bullhead, Ameiurus natalis

Margined mad torn, Noturus insignis

Chain pickerel, Esox niger

Sculpin, Cottus spp

Green sunfish, Lepomis cyanellus

Smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu

Black crappie, Pomoxis nigromaculatus

Tessellated darter, Etheostoma olmstedi

Banded darter, Etheostoma zonale

Yellow perch, Percaflavescens

Shield darter, Percina peltata

Totals for site:

264 nS/cm 

Jones

Total 

number of 

fish per 

species

23

1

1

57

1

8

1

9

1

101

1

17

5

2

5

19

2

6

3

4

1

4

132

5

110

519

Percent of 

total number 

of fish

4.4

.2

.2

11.0

.2

1.5

.2

1.7

.2

19.5

.2

3.3

1.0

.4

1.0

3.7

.4

1.2

.6

.8

.2

.8

25.4

1.0

21.2

Total weight 

per species 

(grams)

408

3

799

264

1

45

1

33

1

471

7

507

366

41

48

163

30

48

22

40

2

5

260

44

510

4,119

Percent 

total 

weight

9.91

.073

19.4

6.41

.024

1.09

.024

.801

.024

11.4

.170

12.3

8.88

.995

1.17

3.96

.728

1.17

.534

.971

.048

.121

6.31

1.06

12.4

Average 

weight 

(grams)

18

3

799

5

1

6

1

4

1

5

7

30

73

20

10

9

15

8

7

10

2

1

2

9

5

Range of 

weights 

(grams)

8-37

3

799

1-31

1

3-8

1

1-10

1

1-10

7

2-114

56-79

16-25

6-16

3-16

11-19

3-15

7-8

5-24

2

1-2

1-3

5-19

2-8

Average 

total length 

(millimeters)

109

73

404

66

50

90

48

62

42

71

87

124

192

128

914

103

145

80

70

85

53

53

50

93

72

Ran

total l

(millim

87-

7

40

25-

5

71-

4

35

4

43

8

63-

172

120

79-

86-

130

65

65

70-

5

50

40

83-

65

Reported anomalies: margined madtoms -10% with parasites.
Study Unit: COE

Station Name: Tioga River near Tioga Junction, Pa.

Lat/Long: 41 057'26777006'56"

County: Tioga

pH: 6.8, Temperature: 18°C, Conductance: 266 ^S/cm

Investigators: Bilger, Brightbill, Kulp, Pisarski, Jones

[ , data not recorded]

Date of Collection: 09/24/1998

# of Species at Reach: 28

Sampling Gear Code: backpack 

Time/Pass(sec./min.): 7,181/120

Species name

Central stoneroller, Campostoma anomalum

Spotfin shiner, Cyprinella spiloptera

Common carp, Cyprinus carpio

Cutlips minnow, Exoglossum maxillingua

River chub, Nocomis micropogon

Comely shiner, Notropis amoenus

Spottail shiner, Notropis hudsonius

Rosyface shiner, Notropis rubellus

Bluntnose minnow, Pimephales notatus

Blacknose dace, Rhinichthys atratulus

Longnose dace, Rhinichthys cataractae

Creek chub, Semotilus atromaculatus

Fallfish, Semotilus corporalis

White sucker, Catostomus commersoni

Northern hog sucker, Hypentelium nigricans

Yellow bullhead, Ameiurus natalis

Brown bullhead, Ameiurus nebulosus

Margined mad torn, Noturus insignis

Sculpin, Cottus spp

Rockbass, Ambloplites rupestris

Green sunfish, Lepomis cyanellus

Pumpkinseed, Lepomis gibbosus

Smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu

Black crappie, Pomoxis nigromaculatus

Tessellated darter, Etheostoma olmstedi

Banded darter, Etheostoma zonale

Yellow perch, Percaflavescens

Sheild darter, Perca peltata

Totals for site:

Total 

number of 

fish per 

species

77

17

1

4

25

4

78

1

248

76

109

4

100

56

15

10

1

28

4

13

2

3

19

3

72

145

7

23

1,145

Percent of 

total number 

of fish

6.7

1.5

.1

.3

2.2

.3

6.8

.1

21.7

6.6

9.5

.3

8.7

4.9

1.3

.9

.1

2.4

.3

1.1

.2

.3

1.7

.3

6.3

12.7

.6

2.0

Total weight 

per species 

(grams)

807

40

649

9

440

2

121

2

416

106

290

16

1,696

5,762

1,016

837

69

109

11

1,054

30

14

1,131

33

122

275

80

85

15,222

Percent 

total 

weight

5.30

.263

4.26

.059

2.89

.013

.795

.013

2.73

.696

1.90

.105

11.1

37.9

6.67

5.49

.453

.716

.072

6.92

.197

.092

7.43

.217

.801

1.81

.526

.558

Average 

weight 

(grams)

10

2

649

2

18

1

2

2

2

1

3

4

17

103

68

84

69

4

3

81

15

5

59

11

2

2

11.4

3.7

Range of 

weights 

(grams)

2-39

1-6

649

2-3

1-77

.5

1-6

2

1-6

1-4

1-11

2-9

8-104

40-742

23-362

1-247

69

1-12

1-6

10-253

13-17

4-6

2-263

9-14

1-3

1-3

6-25

2-5

Average 

total length 

(millimeters)

81

64

370

47

83

39

57

76

53

51

61

68

154

221

174

160

173

69

51

140

72

61

147

92

54

48

102

69

Ran

total le

(millim

50-

37-

37

42

38-

37-

24-

7

32-

40-

42-

56-

101

148

131

40-

17

40-

41-

80-

69

55-

55-

85-

46

32

86-

55

Reported anomalies: yellow bullhead -10% with lesions.
Study Unit: COE

Station Name: Tioga River at Lindley, NY.

Lat/Long: 42001'23777°071 53"

County: Tioga

pH: 7.5, Temperature: 20°C, Conductance: 236

Investigators: Bilger, Brightbill, Kulp, Pisarski, Jones

[ , data not recorded]

Date of Collection: 09/22/1998

# of Species at Reach: 21

Sampling Gear Code: backpack 

Time/Pass(sec./min.): 7,885/131

Species name

Central stoneroller, Campostoma anomalum

Spotfin shiner, Cyprinella spiloptera

Cutlips minnow, Exoglossum maxallingua

River chub, Nocomis micropogon

Spottail shiner, Notropis hudsonius

Bluntnose minnow, Pimephales notatus

Blacknose dace, Rhinichthys atratulus

Longnose dace, Rhinichthys cataractae

Fallh'sh, Semotilus corpora/is

White sucker, Catostomus commersoni

Northern hog sucker, Hypentelium nigricans

Yellow bullhead, Ameiurus natalis

Margined madtom, Noturus insignis

Sculpin, Cottus spp

Rockbass, Ambloplites rupestris

Pumpkinseed, Lepomis gibbosus

Smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu

Tessellated darter, Etheostoma olmstedi

Banded darter, Etheostoma zonale

Yellow perch, Percina flavescens

Shield darter, Percina peltata

Totals for site:

Total 

number of 

fish per 

species

2

12

1

14

3

85

2

10

3

19

3

5

67

4

3

3

1

182

354

9

122

904

Percent of 

total number 

of fish

0.2

1.3

.1

1.5

.3

9.4

.2

1.1

.3

2.1

.3

.6

7.4

.4

.3

.3

.1

20.1

39.2

1.0

13.5

Total weight 

per species 

(grams)

14

14

18

73

4

135

2

26

10

1,696

117

78

362

40

28

22

17

383

605

37

473

4,154

Percent 

total 

weight

0.337

.337

.433

1.76

.096

3.25

.048

.626

.241

40.8

2.82

1.88

8.71

.963

.674

.530

.409

9.22

14.6

.891

11.3

Average 

weight 

(grams)

7.0

1.2

18.0

5.2

1.3

1.6

1.0

2.6

3.3

89.3

39.0

15.6

5.4

10.0

9.3

7.3

17.0

2.1

1.7

4.1

3.8

Range of 

weights 

(grams)

7

1-3

18

1-52

1-2

1-6

1

1-6

3-4

11-188

3-70

6-53

1-19

5-14

8-11

6-9

17

1-4

1-3

1-25

1-8

Average 

total length 

(millimeters)

85

38

110

59

53

50

39

63

70

192

140

87

66

86

76

76

112

51

46

74

70

Ran

total l

(millim

75

29-

1

40-

52

28

38

49-

67

99-

71-

66-

38-

72

70

72

1

31

31

58-

48

Reported anomalies: central stoneroller - 50% with fin erosion; river chub - 7% with fin erosion, 7% with leeches; bluntnose minnow -16% with 

longnose dace - 22% with fin erosion; tessellated darter - 28% with leeches, 8% with fin erosion; banded darter - 4% with fin erosion.